Henry Boot has put the social housing contractor it had acquired only last year into voluntary liquidation.
The construction and property development business acquired a majority stake in Starfish Commercial in August 2019, but the subsidiary has now been placed into creditors’ voluntary liquidation after failing to meet expectations.
Commenting on the liquidation, Henry Boot said: “Whilst we have been encouraged by recent increases in activity within our construction division, which is now at over 90% of pre-COVID-19 levels, unfortunately, we have not seen the same level of recovery in Starfish.
“Furthermore, there is no visibility as to when it might reach a sustainable level.
“These factors have led us to make the difficult decision of placing Starfish into creditors’ voluntary liquidation.”
Henry Boot continued: “This decision has a minimal impact on Henry Boot’s strong financial position and management’s expectations for FY20.
“A £0.2m goodwill impairment will occur in H2, which is additional to the £1.8m impairment already accounted for in H1.
“Affordable housing is still a market of interest, and we will continue to pursue our interest in this sector, but this will now be part of the overall services offered by our construction business.
“The group’s overall performance remains in line with management’s expectation, and we continue to be encouraged by the growing momentum within our operations.”
Henry Boot PLC is a UK-based construction and property development business. It was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1919, becoming the first ever quoted housebuilder.
Read next: Seddon to deliver 63 homes for rent in Stoke-on-Trent
Are you a social housing professional? Sign up for a FREE MEMBERSHIP to upload news stories, post job vacancies, and connect with colleagues on our secure social feed.